A FAMILLE VERTE SQUARE BALUSTER ‘IMMORTALS’ VASE, QING DYNASTYChina, 19th century. Brightly enameled to each side in yellow, aubergine, green, and black. One side depicting two courtiers in a garden pointing at two celestial court ladies framed in clouds, another side with Duowen and another guardian standing below Tongzi, the third side depicting Magu, He Xiangu, a female attendant, and a crane, and the fourth side with two heavenly kings including Zengzhang who raises his sword. The neck decorated with a pavilion hidden behind clouds, mountains, and rockwork, and the shoulders with lotus blossoms to each corner.Provenance: From the private collection of Dr. Ma Luk, Hong Kong, thence by descent in the same family. From a private collection, Arizona, USA, acquired from the above. Dr. Ma Luk (1883-1963) graduated from the Hong Kong College of Medicine and became one of the leaders of the local medicalmunity in Hong Kong. After spending a few years working for the Chinese Public Dispensary, he had the rare distinction of being the first Chinese doctor to join a European group practice in 1908, Drs. Fitzwilliams and Allan. He later started his own clinic in Central District and gradually expanded it into a large group practice, the Ma Luk Sun Hospital. Dr. Ma was also a director of the newly formed Yeung Wo Nursing Home in 1922. He served the Hong Kong Chinese Medical Association as vice president from 1933-1934 and was also active as the Chairman of the Chinese Club. He was admitted to the Order of St. John for his long service for the St. John Association and Brigade. Dr. Ma Luk was an important art collector and patron.Condition: Very good condition with only minor old wear and some firing irregularities including glaze flaking, minor fritting, little pitting. Even from the 19th century, this piece must be considered very rare in this splendid state of preservation.Weight: 4,454 gDimensions: Height 49.4 cmThe base with an apocryphal, underglaze-blue, six-character markda Qing Kangxi nianzhi.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Sotheby’s New York, 14 September 2005, lot 688Price: USD 10,200 or approx.EUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of famille verte square vases, 19th CenturyExpert remark:pare the related form, size (50.8 cm), color of the enamels, and Kangxi reign mark. Note the lotprises two vases.清代五彩仙人圖方瓶中國，十九世紀。綠地五彩琺瑯描繪祥雲中的神仙，有瑤池仙女、麻姑，有護法天王、二郎神以及哪吒等。頸部飾亭臺樓閣，肩部纏枝蓮紋。